Parental interference will invite tough action

“Why would a father otherwise torture his son so often?” asked Ghosh. Biswadip died of cardiac arrest while playing table tennis with his sister at his South Kolkata residence.

The young boy’s father was charged with attacking Biswadip after getting enraged with him, following which the boy suffered cardiac arrest and eventually died. On further inquiry, it was leant that the boy’s father used to physically assault him frequently, particularly every time Biswadip crashed out of any ranking tournament.

Ghosh has decided to have a detailed discussion with the parents of the 100 odd students who are with the NBTTA-affiliated coaching centres.

“This has been a lesson for me. We will talk to the parents and try to issue circulars instructing them that if any student is found to be training under his father or any relative or at any place other than his designated coaching centre, then he will be suspended. I will try to implement this rule as soon as I can,” Ghosh said. She revealed that she personally requested Biswadip’s father repeatedly not to interfere with the young boy’s game.

Michael Mullick, joint-secretary of the West Bengal Table Tennis Association (WBTTA), too feels the same way and wants to take immediate steps against punitive parents. “We have 50 coaching centres in the state. We recently started issued circulars to all parents, instructing them not to intervene in their training. We will go tougher on that front after this incident. In fact, in our training centres, parents aren’t even allowed in the playing arena.”